Leaf-turner



oooooooo Patented Oct. 23,1894

' same.

' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY KRAMER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LEAF-TURN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,997, dated October23, 1894.

Application filed January 10, 1894. $erial No. 496,386- (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY KRAMER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLeaf-Turners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to leaf turners, for music and books, and has forits object to simplify the construction and arrangement of such devices,and render them more positive in their action.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of theconstruction and arrangement of the several parts which will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved device.Fig. 2 is a similar view of the back portion. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection on the line :r-:r, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line yy,Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an attachment applied. Fig. 6 isa detail perspective view of a part of the device.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a frame workconstructed of wood which serves as a support for the music or book torest upon, and has metallic plates 2 and 3 secured thereto to cover themechanism located under the same or in rear thereof, the said platesbeing nickel plated or otherwise ornamented. Pins or rods 4 and 5 areengaged by springs 6 respectively at their upper and lower ends. Thesaid pins or rods extend only partially over the frame work 1 and areopen at the center so that they can be easily manipulated and raised topermit the sheet music to be placed thereunder against the said framework, and then closed tight on the sheets so as to keep them in positionand prevent movement to and fro of the At the upper part of the framework is located a series of protruding wire arms 7 which are stronglymounted and have a resilient action through the medium of springs 8either side and hold them in place.

, and which are connected by rods 9 with keys 10 at the bottom of theframe-work through the medium of arms 10*. The ends of the wire arms aresupplied with forks or pins 11 movably mounted on said wire and are tobe inserted in the sheets desired to be turned by the device. The keys10 are numbered and the forks or pins 11 are similarly numbered and whenthe said keys 10 have a pressure applied thereto by a slight touch orjerk, they release catches 12 on the back of the frame work 1 which holdthe wire arms in position when they are on the right side, and when thesaid catches are released the said arms instantly fly back toward theleft of the device, carrying therewith the leaves of the music. A rim orprojection 13 is located at the upper andlower part of the frame workbetween which the sheets of music rest.

In arranging the sheets of music on the device it is necessary that thepins or rods should be in the center of the said sheets or as nearly soas possible.

In starting out to operate the device or placing it in position forconvenient operation, should the wire arm be located on the left side ofthe stand they are turned over toward the right of the device, one byone in rotation, and forks or pins on the ends of said arms are causedto engage the sheets. When through playing the music on the first leafor page the corresponding button or key is given a slight pressure andthe leaf will at once turn and remain on the left of the performeragainst a preceding leaf and the operation thus becomes successive untilall the leaves are turned.

When a book with heavy covers is used instead of sheet music, the rodsor pins 4 and 5 are dispensed with, and oppositely heavy spring catches15, Fig. 5, are substituted therefor which engage the covers of the bookon It must be observed that the keys must be touched in rotation so asto cause a positive action and avoid interference and consequent injuryto the mechanism. The main works underneath the frame work are simpleand so adjusted that any irregularity can be traced at once andrectified by unscrewing a portion of the back cover, and all the workswill then be exposed to view. The device can be used for either squareor upright pianos, or organs. It can also be attached to any musicalinstrument or built therein and made part thereof. It responds quicklyto the action of the keys with perfect ease and no skill is required inusing it.

The device can be made to suit any number of leaves up to fourteen.Should there be a single leaf in the center as it often hapzo pens,about half an inch of the blank at the center is bent inwardly, theblank which is bent being nearest the center of the book. The pins orrods 4 and 5 are then placed over the said bend and the center leaf orsingle :5 sheet will be held as if it were a double leaf. It will beobserved that the pins at and 5 which retain the music in place on theframe 1, have shouldered hub portions m, which are engaged by thesprings 6 and serve to press the said pins against the frame 1, withsufficient tension to hold the music in place.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In amusic leaf turner, the combination 2 5 with a supporting frame, and aseries of arms to engage with the leaves of the music, having verticalextensions at their inner ends which are journaled to the frame, coiledsprings mounted on the said vertical extensions and adapted to operatethe said arms when released, a spring actuated dog or catch to engagewith the arm on the vertical extension of each arm to hold the latteragainst the tension of the spring, and keys operatively connected withthe said dogs or catches to disengage the latter from the said arms,substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein shown and described music leaf turner comprising thefollowing ele- 4o ments: a frame Work provided with a suitable rest forthe music, oppositely disposed pins pivoted attheir outer ends andhaving shouldered hub portions, springs exerting a pressure against thesaid shouldered hub por- 5 tions, a series of arms having verticalextensions which are j ournaled to the frame Work, spring actuatedcatches to engage with the arms on the aforesaid vertical extensions,and a series of keys operatively connected with the said catches wherebythe latter are released, substantially as described for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HENRY KRAMER. lVitnesses:

BENJA. SOHLOSS, J. B. LARUE.

